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Elections pass peacefully in Bellary

Barring a lone attempt to capture a booth in Bellary town, polling in the high-profile parliamentary constituency yesterday was peaceful, Returning Officer and District Commissioner Raj Kamal said today.

Talking to journalists, he said 10 people entered the Millerpet polling station and tried to snatch the ballot boxes. However, timely intervention by the authorities prevented any rigging. The incident was restricted to the assembly constituency only and the Lok Sabha elections were not affected. Investigation had been ordered following a complaint from the presiding officer of the booth.

He said he would forward his report as well as the demand for a repoll by Congress candidate Diwakar Babu to the Election Commission for its consideration.

He said that a bundle of 50 ballot papers was found scattered in the booth. It was found that 27 of them were stamped and that five ballot papers were missing. A majority of them were in favour of the BJP. He clarified that the ballot papers pertained to the assembly elections.

Superintendent of Police Prashant Kumar Thakur said the situation in the area was peaceful today.

Raj Kamal said 588 votes had boycotted the elections in a hamlet in Kurugodu assembly segment, protesting against the lack of civic amenities.

Repoll was also recommended in 11 polling stations in Raichur Lok Sabha constituency after miscreants indulged in booth-capturing and rigging and poured water into ballot boxes.

Repoll will be held in seven booths in Lingasugur, three in Shorapur and one in Manvi assembly segment.

In Lingasugur, repoll was ordered following reports of water being poured into ballot boxes, ballot papers being snatched and bogus voting being indulged in.

In Manvi assembly segment too miscreants poured water into ballot boxes.

In Shorapur, 10 people were arrested and a vehicle was seized from them in connection with poll-related incidents.

Repoll has also been recommended in 24 polling booths in eight parliamentary constituencies in Karnataka following various incidents during the first phase of elections yesterday.

Election Commission sources said that besides Raichur, repoll has been ordered in Bidar (five), Davanagere, Chitradurga, Kolar and Gulbarga (four each), Kanakapura (two) and Chikballapur (one booth).

The repoll is to be held tomorrow.

EARLIER REPORT: Bellary goes under security blanket

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